LED Area Light

[4x4mike]

I've been cruising the internet lately thinking I need another project and have money burning a whole in my pocket. One thing I've been wanting to build lately is an area light. This is the kind of light that you turn on at camp at night if you pull in late and have to set up camp. I also thought it would be handy for cooking and repairs.

There are different versions commercially available but I wanted to build something. Custom is always nice but I wanted something that would do the job and be much more affordable.

Hella makes a lot of different models but they are halogen and HID and will pull more juice than I want.

There are a few companies making led work lights and others are using the led light bars but they are all pretty expensive. They are really nice but out of my budget.

So here is what I'm thinking for making one. It'll be 4 high powered leds. 2 will be a spot and 2 will be a flood. I'm thinking 2 switches that will allow me to have the spots on, floods on or both. The leds will run at 1 amp per 2 leds and be housed in something that is cheap and give me different mounting options. Some guys are putting these lights on poles but I'm thinking magnet mount, swivel, roof rack mounted or free standing (Paddlenbike mentioned a Gorilla Pod). The plug will be a 12V cigarette lighter socket that will allow me to move it between vehicles and plug it into my porta power and take it anywhere.

I've ordered parts and hit up Home Depot so the damage has begun. I'm uploading some pictures now so I'll update. Any suggestions will be great. Currently my only concern will be heat. I've never made anything that runs 4 leds on 2 amps total so I'm not sure how hot this thing'll get. I've got some aluminum so I plan on making some heat sinks.

[4x4mike]

Alright I have some pictures.

This is what is going to be giving it's life for the plug.
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07482.jpg[/img]

It's a Type R so I know it's a good one.
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07483.jpg[/img]

The thing spins really fast and it's quite loud for a spiny orange light.





Drivers
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07474.jpg[/img]

This is my first time playing with optics. These are the spots.
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07475.jpg[/img]

Floods
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07477.jpg[/img]


These hold the optics and are glued to the tops of the emitter stars.
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07479.jpg[/img]

The optic snaps into the holder which is nice because I'll be able to swap out depending on my needs. I'm pretty sure this thing is going to be bright I just need to harness the light and make it work for me.
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07480.jpg[/img]

[4x4mike]

From HD is got the usual stuff
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07426.jpg[/img]

I was looking for a housing and was going to use the metal inspection plate box thingys that are used for electrical wires. Metal conduit threads into the sides and these little slim boxes are at corners, junctions and areas where you need to inspect the wires or add on. I wasn't sure if they would work and they were around 10 bucks so I looked on. Copper is pretty expensive and couldn't find anything that fit my needs. The copper would be nice because it would act as a heat sink and dissipate the heat. Like with most projects I ended up in the PVC isle. It's cheap, comes in all kinds of sizes with little add ons and everything. Problem is that as a housing it won't dissipate heat so that remains an area of concern.

My haul
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07427.jpg[/img]

I'm thinking I'll use the clean out plug as a face and try to work in a lens. If I can't work one in I'll have to epoxy the heck out of the front around the optics holders which is fine as the optics snap in and out and the epoxy will seal up everything. I think I've got some dremel work ahead of me. The conduit things were heavy thick metal and I think they would be a bear to work with.

I actually got really far tonight but I have to take some more pictures and brain storm about my design a little more before I spend more time grinding, filing and gluing. I hope I'm not up all night thinking about this, I need my sleep.

[Robinhood4x4]

I've always wanted to do an area light too and was thinking of mounting them on poles on the roof rack. The poles would lie flat front to back on the roof rack but swing up when needed to get the light source higher up.

[4x4mike]

I've been finding a lot of guys with the pole lights but most have plate bumpers and swing out tire carriers. These make for good foundations to mount a light onto. I have a roof rack and basket and have been giving it some thought. I haven't wired the light yet or messed with the optics but once I do I'll know if I want to use a pole or not. I think that it will be nice to disperse the light especially if it's pretty bright. Ideally I'd have a mount that can do it all and I think I've got that figured out.

Here is my light and housing. As I said it's not wired and will probably be a day or two as I'm exhausted from the past week or so.

[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07465.jpg[/img]

[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07468.jpg[/img]

[Robinhood4x4]

Only 1 flood? I'm thinking you're going to need more, especially if it's going to be up on a pole.

Which emitter are you using?

[4x4mike]

Those are place holder optics. I'm actually not using any of those. I was thinking on circuit with 2 spots and cone with 2 floods. The emitters are Q5 crees.

I just wired everything up tonight and might do some rethinking. 1 amp per 2 leds is really bright and as a result really hot. I ran all 4 emitters for 3-4 minutes and my heat sink got crazy hot (~150*), hot enough that I'm rethinking this. With the drivers I have I can run all 4 at 500ma but it would be all 4 all the time and I was hoping for 2 and 2. Another is the spot optics. At 1 amp they are really bright and just a spot, maybe 4 floods will be better. I'll put this back on the drawing board as currently there is too much heat to deal with right now.

[troyboy162]

Those are place holder optics. I'm actually not using any of those. I was thinking on circuit with 2 spots and cone with 2 floods. The emitters are Q5 crees.

I just wired everything up tonight and might do some rethinking. 1 amp per 2 leds is really bright and as a result really hot. I ran all 4 emitters for 3-4 minutes and my heat sink got crazy hot (~150*), hot enough that I'm rethinking this. With the drivers I have I can run all 4 at 500ma but it would be all 4 all the time and I was hoping for 2 and 2. Another is the spot optics. At 1 amp they are really bright and just a spot, maybe 4 floods will be better. I'll put this back on the drawing board as currently there is too much heat to deal with right now.

whats the point of dimiishing returns for a q5? 350MA? i know 700MA vs 1A is not much of a gain for the amout of power you throw at it. they must a have a effeciency spot

[4x4mike]

I'm one hand typing with a baby in my arms so I can't serch for the data sheet but more than 350ma and probably close to 700.

[4x4mike]

I had some time today so I did a little rewiring and made a mount. I've got one switch now and it turns on all 4 leds and they are floods. They are running at 500ma so they run a lot cooler yet still put out light.

Light with mount
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07504.jpg[/img]

[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07503.jpg[/img]

[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07500.jpg[/img]

Then I had to wait for it to get dark.
Here it is from the other side of my back yard.
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07497.jpg[/img]

Here it is with a 3' pvc "pole" setup looking across the yard.
[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07496.jpg[/img]

Here propped up on the roof.
[img width=600 height=800]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Area%20Light/DSC07492.jpg[/img]